Tag: one year clear

{Below is my updated post from last week – painfully repeating the words through many calls, texts and messages, I realized I was not clear. Please accept my apologies and sincerest thanks for your understanding support and love}

We received the full report recently from Abbigail’s most recent MRI scan.

My Hero ❤

The long day of fasting and being bumped on the scan schedule endlessly was worth it. At that moment on February 25th, the cancer had not reared its unwelcome face again, as there were no visible tumours found on her scans, medically the doctor’s report states “no evidence of disease,” and we couldn’t be happier! Each time she has been scanned this past year, we get one step closer to days without cancer on the brain, although Abbigail does not have any evidence of disease today in her body, the reality is that she poses a higher risk than the average child to have subsequent cancers or to still have premature cancerous causing cells still in her body, undetectable to scans yet. What this means is that she is not actively fighting cancer right now, but her fight is not over and the fear of cancer will never be over. As years pass, and more scans return NED {no evidence of disease}, Abbigail is further from cancer and the possibility of battling with it again. Every cancer has a different “time-frame” to be monitored post active treatment, for Neuroblastoma, for about two years post treatment, follow-up tests and scans are every three months, then every six months and eventually none unless symptoms present themselves again. It is hard not to worry, however the further from treatment Abbigail becomes, because the symptoms of relapse can be similar to those of a host of childhood illnesses and conditions and we must continue to be vigilant.

So here we are, not directly fighting cancer, but its rare creation – OMS! We hope and pray and maintain faith that one day we will get to where we are supposed to be with her OMS but in the meantime we will battle with Abbigail and enjoy the moments along the way…we will get there one day at a time.

Abbigail was a real joy that day, despite the difficult circumstances, and she spread her smile throughout the halls as we passed the time visiting friends, favourite nurses and even crashing a private playroom for a quick nap. She truly has some of her best moments and days at CHEO. As strange as that may seem to an outsider, she has spent the most vulnerable days in that place and had many strangers touch her life quite literally and to her it is a place away from home that she is comfortable in. She has much love there and is quite the shining star.

Off to spread some more joy!

Here she is, sure to keep the nurses on their toes in MRI, when she awoke from her anaesthetic she didn’t waste a minute’s time, she tore out her IV before her meds could even be pushed through the line! She is a firecracker!!!

Abbigail has made a name for herself at such a young tender age, she is one of the 2 cases known at CHEO of OMS and she continues to fight this battle with every willed fibre in her tired little body. Don’t get us wrong, we are thrilled and remain positive and optimistic for our baby girls future but take this news with the understanding that her toad doesn’t end here. Please take this news of her recent scan and wish for many more shiny tumour free scans in the future as our baby girl has endured enough and will continue to endure what this life long battle trows at her. With no cure she will have a life of battling and so we ask you to pray we do not have to watch her battle cancer again too.